Chief Executive of Kingfisher calls to action on deforestation at GA

On 29 June 2011, Kingfisher’s Group Chief Executive Ian Cheshire gave a speech at Forest Framework 2011, the Forest Conference of the FSC General Assembly 2011 held in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. Mr. Cheshire called for a global round of annual forestry talks to deliver zero net deforestation by 2020. FSC interviewed Mr. Cheshire to learn more about his call to action and the value that FSC brings to Kingfisher.

Mr. Cheshire speaking at the Forest Conference © FSC

FSC: Why are you, as the head of Kingfisher, making this call to action?

Mr. Cheshire: As the CEO of Kingfisher, which is a global retailer, we have a vested interest in this. 30% of our products include some form of timber, over 16000 products in our average store, and we have a long-term interest in having a sustainable supply chain. And we’ve been involved as a founding partner of the FSC since the early 90s. What we believe is that business has to play a role in this. It’s not the only determinant, but we are absolutely engaged to create a more sustainable business model going forward and for business to be a force for good in this. And we think that we can call for action potentially in a way that politicians or NGOs might find a bit harder.

FSC: Can you say a bit about the value FSC brings to Kingfisher?

Mr. Cheshire: The FSC brings enormous value to Kingfisher. It is the key certification body that we work with, but I think it’s also much broader than that. And I think one of the great things about the General Assembly here is that you see the full panoply of the things that FSC is involved with. I think there is a slight danger on occasion that people in business see it as the tick on the label, as it were. Actually the breadth of activity that FSC brings is enormous and particularly important for us is the thought leadership to keep challenging us as a critical friend. Are we doing enough? Are we doing the right things? So to have a partner over such a long period, for us has been really critical.

Please read the full interview in the newsletter of the FSC General Assembly

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